Wireless charger

Abstract

A wireless charger is disclosed. The charger contains a coil with a plurality of taps, thereby facilitating charging according to different frequencies and standards. Detection of the standard appropriate to a particular receiver may be accomplished by modulation of the power carrier or via low power modalities, including NFC or Bluetooth.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for wirelessly charging a receiver comprising:
 a coil having two or more taps; 
 an NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver connected to one of the taps and configured to communicate with the receiver via the taped portion of the coil to identify an appropriate charging standard for the receiver; 
 at least two transmitters connected to the coil, wherein each transmitter implements a different wireless charging standard; 
 a transmitter-specific switch connected between the coil and the each transmitter, wherein at least one of the transmitters is connected to the coil via one of the taps; and 
 a controller configured to control the transmitter-specific switches and the transmitters in response to information from the NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver to select the appropriate charging standard and provide charging energy via the respective transmitter. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus for wirelessly charging a receiver comprising:
 a coil with a plurality of taps, each of said taps defining a respective portion of said coil; 
 a plurality of switches, each of said switches being connected to a respective tap; 
 a plurality of transmitters, each of said transmitters being implements a different charging standard and being connectable to a respective tap by closing said respective switch; 
 an NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver connected to one of the taps and configured to communicate with the receiver via the taped portion of the coil to identify an appropriate charging standard for the receiver; 
 a controller adapted to, in response to information received from the NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver regarding the appropriate charging standard: 
 (i) close a selected switch; 
 (ii) choose a respective transmitter that corresponds to the appropriate charging standard and cause said transmitter to transmit charging energy through said selected switch and thereby energize said respective portion of said coil; 
 (iii) cause said respective transmitter to transmit a modulated communication signal. 
 
     
     
       3. An apparatus for wirelessly charging a receiver comprising:
 a coil with a transmitter tap and an NFC tap, each of the transmitter tap and the NFC tap defining a respective portion of the coil; 
 first and second transmitters, the first transmitter being implements first wireless charging standard that operates at a first frequency and connectable to the coil by closing a first switch and the second transmitter being implements a second wireless charging standard that operates at a second frequency and connectable to the coil via the transmitter tap by closing a second switch; 
 an NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver connected to the NFC tap and configured to communicate with the receiver via the taped portion of the coil to identify an appropriate charging standard for the receiver; 
 a controller adapted to, in response to information received from the NFC passive tag or NFC transceiver regarding the appropriate charging standard: 
 (i) close one of the first and second switches to implement either the first or the second wireless charging standard; and 
 (ii) cause the respective transmitter to transmit charging energy through the selected switch and thereby energize the respective portion of the coil.